


Comfort Food

by LinksLipsSinkShips



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Fluff, Gen, because this is just hella sweet, if you're looking for something that won't rot your teeth, link learns to cook, mythical anniversary, seriously this is literally all just fluff, then look elsewhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 18:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11995506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinksLipsSinkShips/pseuds/LinksLipsSinkShips
Summary: Link learns to cook in hopes of celebrating a very special day with Rhett.





	Comfort Food

**Author's Note:**

  * For [likeawildpotato](https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeawildpotato/gifts).



> Inspired by the prompt idea that Link should learn to cook for a special occasion with Rhett from like-a-wild-potato.

“Crap dang it!” Link cried out. He’d burnt them again. Even though he was following the directions perfectly, it was failing every time. He dumped the tray of cookies directly into the trash, the blackened chunks crumbling as they hit the bottom of the trash bin. He was glad he’d started this endeavor a week before he needed to, but he was quickly running out of time. He had practiced every dish, and every single one had failed. The chicken was undercooked and would have had Gordon Ramsay screaming over how it was probably still clucking from being so raw. The dumplings were mushy, not at all like what their mothers would have made. The potatoes were lumpy and weird, the texture all off, and the flavor wrong, too. The cookies? Well… those were a disaster in themselves.

Link picked up the phone and dialed the one person he knew could help him. He just hoped this person would also be willing to keep his secret.

“Micah, I’m at the office. Can you come help me? It’s an emergency.”

On the other end of the phone, Micah sounded totally groggy and out of it. Link looked at his watch.  _ Oh crap. _ He’d called at 3 in the morning.

“Yeah, no problem. What kind of emergency? Everything okay?” That was Micah, always willing to help.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was so late when I called. We can do this later. Sorry.” Link was starting to hang up, feeling bad that he’d called at such a bad time.

“No, I’m coming. I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”

When Micah showed up to see Link standing in the middle of the office kitchen wearing an 8-bit heart apron, he looked more than a little confused and perplexed. Link was leaning over the counter in front of him, studying a paper intently. He nudged his glasses with one hand, not noticing Micah until he cleared his throat.

“You, uh… you called?”

“I’m really sorry, Micah. I lost track of time. I just… I had a kitchen emergency and I knew you’d be the person who could help me.”

“A kitchen emergency? In the middle of the night? I thought you didn’t cook…” Micah moved over toward Link, taking a peek at the paper, a recipe for chicken and dumplings.

“I needed to make a meal for something important and, well, I’ve been trying to practice but I keep getting it wrong. Nothin’s turning out the way I want it to. It doesn’t taste right, and I keep thinking I’m following the recipe but everything is either raw or burnt or doughy or gritty. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” Link pouted.

“Okay, let’s take a look.” Micah moved into kitchen mode, and he gathered the ingredients. “The first thing you’re going to want to do is plan your meal so that everything finishes at the same time, or so that the things that you can do first, you do first. So even though you want to eat the chicken and dumplings and mashed potatoes, you want to prepare the cookie dough first so it can chill.” He grabbed the eggs and flour, the sugar and chocolate chips, the shortening and vanilla.

It didn’t take long for Micah to figure out that Link had been confusing teaspoons and tablespoons, which wouldn’t have helped the flavor of his cookies even if they hadn’t been burnt to a crisp. Link wrapped the dough carefully and moved it to the refrigerator, and it seemed to be a much better consistency than he’d gotten the first few tries by himself.

“How long have you been trying to cook, anyway?” Micah was curious, and Link started the mental math in his head. He’d been trying to learn to cook, but he’d only been working on these specific dishes for a few days now, and it was important to him that they were just right.

“I’ve been trying these for a few days, staying after y’all go home,” Link admitted.

“These are good recipes, you’ve got a good starting point. If you follow them carefully, you should be okay. Where’d you get these?” Micah turned them over in his hands. They were printed carefully in even handwriting on notebook pages, clearly written with love.

“Mama Di… uh, Rhett’s mom… sent them to me.”

“Oh! Okay, so kind of like family recipes, then. Those are my favorite.” Micah smiled and set about gathering the ingredients for the chicken and dumplings. “The next part is easy. We’re going to start boiling the chicken. We’ll cut the potatoes for the mashed potatoes while the chicken cooks.” Micah showed Link how to season the broth, and told him that they’d save some back for using in the dumplings to give them a richer flavor. The pair worked quietly, quickly. “Am I allowed to give you a knife to cut the potatoes?”

“Yeah, I’ve been cuttin’ them by myself at night, so surely I can do it while you’re here.” Link chuckled, thinking back to all of the close calls he’d had on camera and off.

“That sounds… safe.” Micah raised an eyebrow at the thought of Link cutting potatoes alone with a sharp knife. The two worked on the dishes until the sun came up, Micah showing Link how to mash the potatoes and get the right consistency of butter, using more of that than milk, to make them extra creamy. He gave Link his tip to add garlic into the potatoes, too, for a little extra flavor. He observed as Link sliced the dumplings and tossed them into the boiling water, stirring after every few to keep them from sticking.

They sliced the cookie dough and baked it, and this time they were perfect, soft and delicious, without any burned spots in sight. By morning, all of their dishes were fully complete, and Link worked to quickly clear the kitchen of any evidence before everyone else arrived at work for the day. He sprayed air freshener in the air to eliminate the smell of chicken and garlic, then sent sealed containers of leftovers with Micah.

“I’ll tell everyone you called in sick today. And of course, I’ll make sure you’re paid for the extra hours last night. Thanks for the help. And for keeping my secret.” With that, Micah was out the door only minutes before Rhett walked in.

“You’re here early.” Rhett smirked, trying to figure out what the strange white powder was in Link’s hair. He reached out and touched it, and it swiped away. As Link tried to dodge, Rhett laughed it off. “You had something in your hair! Here I was thinkin’ it was time for us to re-dye it!”

Link smiled. “Oh, I must have slept on it strangely.”

“Yeah, okay.” Rhett raised an eyebrow, then continued up to his office. Thankfully, aside from the hair, Rhett had no idea about the night before.

* * *

Link practiced a few more times, thankful that Micah was willing to guide him through by facetime, and eventually by text. He made a note to give him a good bonus at the end of the year. This could never have happened without him, Link was positive.

Link had the office to himself. Their plans for the day included recording an Ear Biscuit later that night, but first, Link had made arrangements for Rhett to go watch the final cut of Buddy System. They liked watching separately, making their own notes so they could compare later, find middle ground. Plus, Link needed the excuse to get Rhett out of the office for awhile so he could finish his secret project. He’d sent everyone home, told them to take the afternoon off. Mostly, he just didn’t want questions about what he was doing.

It was just Link, and the ingredients. The ingredients, and Link. He stared them down, knowing he only had time to give this one shot. If it didn’t work this time, there were no do-overs. It was important, now or never, do or die. He started to calculate, figuring he could wait another year if this failed, just call in take-out for the two of them to share before the Biscuit, not mention what today was.  _ No. I can do this.  _ Link read over the recipes, focused himself. He imagined Micah’s guiding words, the ones that had helped him again and again, and when he got stuck, he scrolled through their texts for answers. His phone buzzed.

 

**Is it going okay?**

 

**_Yeah, I think so. I’ve got the cookie dough chilling and the chicken is boiling. I think I can actually do it!_ **

 

**Good. Text me if you get stuck.**

 

Yeah, Micah definitely deserved a good bonus after all of this. Link stirred the chicken and dumplings, watched the broth boil, and just as he was placing heaping spoonfuls of mashed potatoes on a plate, chicken and dumplings in the bowl next to him, he heard the door open behind him.

“Ooh, somethin’ smells good! What are you bringing to This Is Mythical this time, boys?” Rhett called as he turned the corner toward the kitchen. He froze when he saw Link alone, standing there with an apron and oven mitt, a table set with a tablecloth and everything. Link pulled off the oven mitt and untied the apron, setting them on the counter. “Link?” Rhett’s voice was shocked, his eyebrow raised.

“I made us some dinner before we go record. Let me just get the cookies into the oven and then we can eat. That way they’ll be hot.”

“You… made this? By yourself?” Rhett tried to hold back the skepticism in his voice, but Link didn’t cook. The thought of Link cooking seemed outrageous. Even when Link had made him a pizza cake, he’d done so with help, supervision, and guidance.

“Yeah. I wanted it to be special, since today’s special…” Link said softly. Rhett took a seat at one end of the table, and Link settled himself across from Rhett. Rhett didn’t want to ask the dumb question…  _ Why was today special? _

“The Mythical Beasts… they, uh, they figured out what day we met each other. It’s today, man. It’s our mythical anniversary.” Link grinned, looking over the meal in front of them. He felt proud of himself, and the two of them dug in.

“Holy crap, Link, this is  _ good _ !” Rhett was practically shoveling the food in his face, hungry, but also thrilled at how delicious everything was.

“Your mom sent the recipes and Micah’s been helping me practice.” Link admitted to the help he’d gotten. “But today I did it on my own. I really tried, man.”

“I can tell, Link. It’s all great.” Rhett smiled wide, wondering how he got so lucky to have such a great best friend. It didn’t last long, though, as a shrill sound erupted from the kitchen.

“The cookies!” Link exclaimed, running toward the oven. He opened it, and a puff of smoke followed the oven door. Link grabbed the oven mitt, pulling the pan out quickly. They were charred, hockey pucks burnt worst than they were the night he’d called Micah.

Rhett smiled, walking over. “Well, I’m pretty full from dinner anyway, so it’s okay.” He patted Link on the shoulder, trying to stay understanding and not make a joke. It was clear Link had really tried, and the last thing Rhett wanted to do was make him feel bad over a few burnt cookies.

“Oh, no. You’re not getting off that easy.” Link smirked, pulling out the ingredients. “If I put all this effort into our Mythical anniversary, you better believe you’re going to be here until I get this right. Now grab the measuring cup.”

“I have a feeling we’ll be staying late tomorrow to record that Ear Biscuit, then?” Rhett laughed, grabbing the measuring cup and getting a clean bowl from the cabinet.

“Tomorrow. A week from now. However long it takes for us to get this right.”


End file.
